Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-26
WACO.
The Two Leading Newspapers Indicted
for Running Lottery Scheme-A
Wagon Offered as Premium.
No Indications that the Temperance People
viii Hold ConventiOn-Patton-
BeIO Libel Suit.

Special to the Gazette.
WACO. TEX, March 25.-The damage
suit now being Waged by Nathan Patton,
formerly of Galveston, against A. Il. Belo
& Co., of the Galveston News, in the Dis
trict court here, has attracted much at
tention to-day. The plaintiff is repre-
sented by Messrs. Herring & Kelley and
the defendants are represented by
Messrs. Clark, Dyer & Bollinger.
The petition of the plaintiff, which was
fled with District Clerk Beasley July 10,
1885, AYERS that May %, 1885, the saiG
defendants, A. II. Belo & Co., made
libelOus statements by certain publica-
lions in the Galveston Daily News. That
in said publications the News states that
plaintiff caused his own son, Mr.. M. NJ.
Patton, to be confined in the Galveston
county jail on q charge of lunacy; that
the said action on the part of the
father, Nathan Patton, was for the pur-
pose of securing from his son certain
possessions, etc. Petition also states that
Colonel Nathan Patton has lived in Nc
Lehman county a number of years, and
has always borne character of honesty
and int gritty; that he has held offices
of trust, both state and federal, and by
the Galveston News making publication
of the above statements that it has caused
plaintiff to be damaged and placed before
the public in an unenYiable attitude,
and that he wants damages to
the amount of $25, 1000. In the
petition publication from the Galveston
News is also given, which states that
Yourg Patton was tried for Iunacy
and discharged, and that number of the
leading citizens of Galveston appeared
in court and testified to his sanity,
honesty and integrity. But in this arti
Gle the News reiteTates the statement that
he was inCarCerated Oh g charge made
by the father, and for this plaintiff
filed q supplementary suit praying
for $4,000 additional damages
At first this latter suit was made an
amendment to original suit but is now
part to itself. Among those here watch
ing the suit is Mr.. r G. Lowe, managing
editor of the two NeWes. 1t is hardly
probable the case will go to the Jury until
tomorrow.
The following, which is clipped from
the Dallas News OF yesterday morning,
would seem to indicate that everything is
not altogether lovely and serene in the
prohibition camp: cit is an open secret
that within few days call will be issued
for a convention at Waco on April 90 of
temperance men who are opposed to the
prohibition amendment on the ground
that the latter is ill-advised, impractical
BILE and contrary to the fundamental prin-
ciples of free government. Those hold
ing such views will, it is said, assemble
in their counties, from each of which
delegate will be elected to the state coz
vention."
A GAZETTE reporter sought DR.. Crantill
to-day to ask him what he thought of this
movement, and how it would sffect the
prohibition movement, but DR.. Cranfiu
had gone to Temple, where he is to make
a prohibition speech tonight, and couldn't
be seen. Other Prohibitionists who were
seer said they hadn't heard anything
about the matter and didn't attach any
Importance to it. One prominent Prohi-
bitionist said he didn't believe q dozen
attend such meeting.
The two newspapers, Examiner and
Day, have been indicted by the grand
jury for running lottery" scheme.
Both papers, not long ago, offered q
wagon rs a premium for subscribers to
their weekly editions. Every man who
subscribed got ticket, which gave him
chance in the drawing. Two indictments
were found against the Examiner and
also one against Steiner & Stephenson,
furniture dealers, who had q somewhat
similar distribution of presents. The in
dcted parties were rather astOnished, as
they say they did not intend to violate